Conventional radiographic examination rooms include a radiographic table and/or radiographic wallstand. The radiographic table and/or radiographic wallstand each contain an image receptor. Medical imaging equipment such as an X-ray source and the collimator is mounted to an overhead tube support (OTS) in the vicinity of the radiographic table and/or the radiographic wallstand for performing diagnostic imaging procedures. The X-ray source and the collimator comprise a tube mount assembly.
The tube mount assembly is aligned with the receptor for imaging of a subject. To align the tube mount assembly with a receptor, the tube mount assembly and OTS move in three linear motions (lateral, longitudinal, vertical) which are perpendicular to each other, and the tube mount assembly moves in two rotational rotations (rotation about the vertical axis, and rotation about one horizontal axis), for a total of five axes.
Manual positioning of the X-ray source, collimator and OTS is performed by an operator releasing locks on each of the five axes, moving the tube mount assembly to a position of alignment with a receptor, the position being indicated by a “detent,” and stopping the tube mount assembly at that position for each of the five axes. The detent is a means of indicating to the operator that the OTS has reached an aligned position along. When the operator moves the tube mount assembly, the operator must have the strength and the reach to push the tube mount assembly to a destination position. This movement can be difficult, causing fatigue of the operator.
For the reasons stated above, and for other reasons stated below which will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the present specification, there is a need in the art to more easily move the tube mount assembly or other positioning apparatus, or medical imaging equipment.